A bit of excitement for us in El Nido: Nas Daily was here last week filming and some of my friends met him and were featured in his videos. The Philippines is his favorite country in the world. Can’t wait to see the Facebook video when it comes out!

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Here are some interesting parenting links from around the web this week!

H E A L T H

My American Surrogate via New York Times

Exploring a Possible Link Between C-Sections and Autism via New York Times

How Clear C-section Drapes Let Moms Meet Their Babies in a New Way via Parents

Your Kid’s Stuffed Animals Are Disgusting — And Extremely Important via New York Times

The U.S. Health-Care System Found a Way to Make Peanuts Cost $4,200 via The Atlantic

11,168 Children Tested Positive for Lead. The City Didn’t Inspect the Homes. via New York Times

Pediatricians Released New Drink Guidelines for Kids 5 and Under, Here’s What Parents Need to Know via Kids Activities Blog

E D U C A T I O N

STEM is Overrated via The Atlantic

Kid Chess Champions Share Their Secrets via The Atlantic

How to Help Your Child Succeed at School via New York Times

Schools And Mental Health: When The Parent Has To Take Charge via NPR

A School Put an Autistic Boy’s Desk in a Bathroom, Setting Off a Debate on Stigmas via New York Times

Lacking Research Skills, Students Struggle. School Librarians Can Help Solve the College Readiness Gap. via School Library Journal

How Marginalized Families are Pushed Out of PTAs via The Atlantic

Her Only Crime was Helping Her Kids via The Atlantic

Why Kids Need the Freedom to Choose the Books They Read via Read Brightly

The New York Times is Tracking Bestselling Graphic Novels Again via Gizmodo

P A R E N T I N G

Why Boredom Often Beats Screen Time via Edutopia

‘When kids play without expecting rewards, they learn life-skills’ via The Indian Express

Playful Parenting Builds Better Brains: 10 Tools For Success via Hey Sigmund

To the mom on the brink of burnout via Motherly

I’m Letting My 8-Year-Old Trick-or-Treat Without Supervision, Just Like My Parents Did via Popsugar

American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey via Business Insider

F A M I L Y

The Myth of Making It via Longreads

Mattel Launches New Gender-Neutral Dolls via NPR

Prehistoric Babies Drank Animal Milk From Bottles via NPR

Why are American homes so big? via The Atlantic

My Husband Paid me to do Housework via The Atlantic

Weeknight Dinner Around the World via New York Times

For people with Asperger’s, a role model emerges in Greta Thunberg via Today

Attacks on Greta Thunberg expose the stigma autistic girls face via Vox